Animal Shelters in Lafayette, Indiana

Dog bites can be exceptionally dangerous and pose an even more significant risk to children, who are far more likely to be harmed by them than adults. Dog attacks are often the result of pet owners who fail to treat their dogs with the necessary care and respect to foster safe behavior. In fact, pet owners who fail to put the necessary effort into raising and handling their dogs and ensuring they are safe around others may increase the risk that bites will happen. 

This is one of the reasons that animal shelters in Lafayette, Indiana, see far too many dogs come through their doors. If you have been injured by the bite of a negligent owner’s dog, don’t wait to consult with an experienced Indiana dog bite attorney. 

Animal Shelters

If you find a stray dog that is not wearing a tag with a phone number inscribed on it, transporting them to an animal shelter in the Lafayette area is the right move. It’s also important to recognize, however, that a wounded dog or a mother dog with puppies is more likely to bite, and you should plan your actions accordingly. If you don’t feel safe transporting the pet to a shelter, you can call animal control, which will pick up the dog and transport it for you.

The Lafayette area has a number of reputable animal shelters that will help reunite the dog with its owners or help find a new owner for it. 

The Humane Society for Greater Lafayette

The Humane Society for Greater Lafayette is in the process of building a new shelter that will better serve the community’s needs, but its current facility remains up and running. The goals of the Humane Society include all the following:

• Ending the animal overpopulation crisis in the area through the spaying and neutering of pets
• Promoting and providing humane care and shelter for companion animals
• Finding loving homes for the pets it provides with shelter

The Almost Home Humane Society

The Almost Home Humane Society (AHHS) provides return-to-owner services every day of the week and is dedicated to providing care for pets throughout the community. Each year, Almost Home serves the needs of more than 3,000 pets via the many programs it offers. AHHS accepts all the following – in accordance with their shelter capacity:

• All stray animals found within the city limits of both Lafayette and West Lafayette
• All owner-surrendered pets 
• All pets transferred from other animal welfare organizations

AHHS’s mission is to inspire a more humane community by educating, providing resources, and collaborating to improve the lives of animals and their families. 

Happy Tails Adoptions – 

Happy Tails Adoptions is a no-kill animal shelter whose purpose is to save the lives of as many cats and dogs as it can by placing them in loving, forever homes where they’re able to thrive. All the dogs at Happy Trails receive all the following:

• They are spayed or neutered, microchipped, and vaccinated.
• They are checked for heartworms and dewormed as applicable.
• They are started on both flea and tick and heartworm prevention.

In order to adopt, you will need to meet the following criteria:

• You must be at least 18 years old.
• You must fill out the necessary application and either email it or bring it along with you for your visit with the animal you’re interested in adopting, which must be scheduled ahead of time. 
• You must either own your current residence or be able to provide proof that your residence is pet friendly.
• Any other pets you have must be in good health, which includes being neutered or spayed and being up to date on vaccines and all necessary checkups.
• You must take the pet for a trial period of at least a week.
• After being approved, you must sign the adoption agreement and pay the $135 adoption fee for a dog.
• You must have a fenced-in yard for your new dog, or you must be prepared to implement a reasonable exercise routine that includes regular walks on a leash.
• You must purchase six months of heartworm prevention medication to ensure your dog remains protected post-adoption. 

Happy Tails is a veterinary facility that also shelters and cares for homeless animals that find their way to them – connecting them with safe, loving homes in the process. 

Natalie’s Second Chance Dog Shelter

Natalie’s Second Chance Dog Shelter is a no-kill shelter that is dedicated to placing homeless dogs with their forever families and providing them with a home at the shelter throughout the process. Natalie’s does not discriminate in terms of the dog’s breed, age, or health, and they not only accept strays and surrendered dogs but also collaborate with other shelters and rescue facilities to rehome dogs that these facilities can no longer keep. Natalie’s is in search of a larger location that will allow them to save an even greater number of dogs while affording the pooches with green space in which to run unencumbered by leash or chain. 

Loving Heart Animal Shelter

Loving Heart Animal Shelter is a no-kill, all-breed shelter that provides dogs and cats with the safe haven they need while being nurtured back to health – readying them to be adopted into loving forever homes. Loving Heart also seeks foster families for pets in especially sensitive situations, including:

• Young puppies
• Young kitties
• Pets who’ve just undergone surgery
• Pets who are stressed by the shelter environment and need a break

When you foster, you provide the dog you take home with a safe environment that affords them the opportunity to destress and learn the ropes of living as someone’s pet. Your job is to provide your foster pup with a safe home, with love and care, with healthy exercise, and with any assistance in relation to socialization or training they need. You may also be called upon to administer medications as needed and to notify Loving Hearts if you notice any concerning change in the dog’s behavior. 

Lafayette Pitbull Rescue 

Lafayette Pitbull Rescue is a small nonprofit whose focus is entirely on pitbulls. Toward this end, they engage in all the following:

• Sponsoring adoption fees
• Assisting with transportation
• Accepting owner surrenders
• Supporting adoptions 
• Finding foster volunteers 
• Recruiting volunteers to join their team
• Doing anything else within their power to help keep pitbulls out of shelters that are not no-kill.

Lafayette Pitbull Rescue shares the following important statistics about this misunderstood breed:

• 20 percent of all the dogs in the United States are pitbull-type dogs.
• 90 percent of the pitbulls that end up in shelters are ultimately euthanized.

Pitbulls get a bad reputation, but with the proper training and care, they can make safe and loving family pets. Rescues focusing on pitbulls aim to reduce the number of untrained and potentially dangerous pitbulls to increase public safety and awareness of this often cherished breed.

4 Precious Paws 

4 Precious Paws offers walk-in vaccine and wellness clinics every Monday from 9 AM to 4 PM and has a thorough adoption application process. This facility offers spay and neuter services and sells heartworm protection along with flea and tick medications at their facility.  

Animal Welfare League of Montgomery County 

The Animal Welfare League of Montgomery County champions animal welfare in the following primary ways:

• Promoting spaying and neutering pets in their quest to help end overpopulation. 
• Helping to enforce animal rights
• Educating the public in relation to saving animals and serving the community
• Providing pets with safe, loving environments until suitable placements can be found

The Animal Welfare League boasts a 91 percent save rate and never euthanizes pets whose lives can be saved or for reasons related to space – with a goal of achieving a no-kill status.  

Tippecanoe County Animal Control

It’s also important to point out that Tippecanoe County Animal Control plays a critical role in ensuring that dogs and other pets make their way to the shelters that take care of them and seek well-suited owners for them. The Animal Control Department provides assistance with animal control throughout the county, including all the following:

• The humane capture and treatment of unwanted pets
• Investigation into animal abuse, neglect, and cruelty, which is often the underlying cause of dog bites
• The provision of emergency transportation and care for injured animals
• The enforcement of state animal control laws

Being a Responsible Dog Owner

Before taking on the responsibility of owning a dog, it’s important to do your homework by consulting with a veterinarian or respected shelter regarding what to expect in terms of different breeds and the best options for your household. If you are preparing to adopt or purchase a dog, asking specific questions about all the following can help to ensure that you aren’t taking on more responsibility than you can handle:

• The dog’s general temperament
• The dog’s overall health
• Any history of aggression in relation to the dog

If you have a dog at home, it’s important to keep all the following in mind:

• You are responsible for ensuring that the dog receives all the necessary immunizations and regular checkups with the vet.
• Having your dog spayed or neutered plays an important role in helping to prevent the overabundance of stray dogs that we face in this nation. 
• Taking your dog to obedience school can help it become better socialized and more obedient, which helps to reduce the risk that it will become dangerously aggressive.
• When you take your dog with you in public, it’s important to always keep it safely on a leash, which allows you to control its behavior and protect others from its bite. 
• Always closely supervise your dog around children, and never leave a small child alone with your pet.

Protecting Yourself from Dog Bites

Unfortunately, not every dog receives the care and respectful attention it deserves, which leaves some dogs more prone to aggression. Some tips you should know – and should teach your children – in relation to avoiding dangerous dog bites include all the following:

• Never pet a dog you don’t know without first receiving permission from the owner that it’s safe to do so.
• Before petting a dog, make sure that it can see and sniff you.
• If an unfamiliar dog approaches you, remain calm, refrain from looking it directly in the eye, and either stand still or slowly back away. 
• If a dog is attempting to bite you, find anything you can to put between you and the animal, and if a dog knocks you over, roll into a ball while covering your face and remaining as still as you can.

Some things you should never do and should teach your children never to do regarding dogs include:

• Never run toward or away from a dog you don’t know. 
• Never crowd a dog into a corner.
• Never tease a dog, pull its tail, or pull its ears.
• Never squeeze a dog tightly, drop a dog, or fall or jump on a dog.
• Never interfere with a dog who is eating, taking care of its puppies, or sleeping.
• Never attempt to take away a bone or toy from a dog or to play tug of war with a dog.

It’s Time to Consult with an Experienced Lafayette Dog Bite Attorney 

If you or someone you care about has been attacked and injured by someone else’s dog, the formidable dog bite attorneys at Blackburn Romey in Lafayette, Indiana, are well-positioned to skillfully advocate for your case’s best possible resolution. Our legal team can assess your legal options following a dog bite, and no matter what your case requires, we are on your side. 

For more information about what we can do to help you, please don’t hesitate to contact us today. Consultations and case evaluations are always free of charge.